To ask “Zeig mal Will McBride” is to ask a question that, decades later, has no easy answer. It is an invitation to look back at a moment when one man’s camera tried to shatter a century of silence, and in doing so, stirred a storm that still echoes today.
Conceived during the height of the post-WWII sexual revolution, Zeig Mal! sought to radically demystify human anatomy, puberty, and sexual development for children and parents alike. However, its use of explicit, un-staged photographs of children and adolescents navigating their bodies ultimately turned it from a progressive educational tool into a battleground over censorship, public obscenity laws, and changing societal boundaries. The Genesis of Zeig Mal!
Will McBride zu "zeigen", bedeutet, sich mit einer ungemütlichen, aber wichtigen Phase der westlichen Geschichte auseinanderzusetzen. Seine Bilder sind nicht nur Fotografien; sie sind Provokationen, die den Betrachter zwingen, die eigene Haltung zu Körperlichkeit, Jugend und Scham zu hinterfragen. Wer sich für sein Werk interessiert, findet in Archiven und musealen Ausstellungen (z.B. im Rahmen von Ausstellungen zur Geschichte der Fotografie) den kritischen Zugang zu seinem Erbe. zeig mal will mcbride
Will McBride, ›Zeig Mal‹. LOT 138. Hammer Price €960 incl. Buyer's Premium. AUCTION CLOSED – Thank you for your participation! Leitz Photographica Auction Will McBride - Art & Prints for Sale | Artsy
Zeig Mal (commonly known in English as Show Me! ), published in 1974 by American artist and photographer Will McBride and German psychologist Dr. Helga Fleischhauer-Hardt, is a seminal, yet deeply controversial, work of sex education. It was designed to provide children and teenagers with a direct, honest, and unvarnished look at human sexuality, anatomy, and relationships. To ask “Zeig mal Will McBride” is to
“Klaus,” Will said, standing up. “You want me to show you something real? Help me carry my bag.”
(originally published in Germany in 1974 and later released in English as ). sought to radically demystify human anatomy, puberty, and
Captions and text designed to answer common questions about reproduction, puberty, and gender without shame.
Before diving into the controversy, it's essential to understand the artist. Will McBride was not a conventional family portrait photographer. He was a documentarian of a world in flux, with a unique, deeply immersive style that made him a bridge between two cultures.